Chapter 033: Grandfather and Grandson Talk About Dark Matters

After leaving the teahouse, Qin Xue did not take Fang out for any longer, but sent her straight back to the Liu family.

She had the carriage stop outside the gate of Liu's house, personally helped the person out of the carriage, and politely declined Fang's invitation to go in and rest. She just sent the person in and then said goodbye and left.

She had to go home and tell her father what she had heard today so that she could take precautions as soon as possible.

Fang also guessed that she was probably going home to talk about this, so she didn't insist on inviting her in.

Not only did the little girl want to go back and tell her father, she also wanted to go home and tell her grandson.

So, after entering Liu's house, Fang did not return to her own Shuangfuyuan, but went directly to her grandson's Qingfengyuan.

When Liu Zhiyan said that he would take part in the provincial examination this year, he was not just saying it casually, but he really wanted to and was actually doing it.

Just like what Fang said, it is natural for a man to protect his wife and children.

In the past, he had no desire to get married, and he had no interest in becoming an official in the court.

Now that he wants to get married, he should do something to avoid his wife and children being bullied one day and he being unable to protect them, but instead asking his parents and brothers for help.

He has always been proud and would never allow such a thing to happen.

Therefore, the last time Liu Yulan brought someone who knew how to make Fang's desserts, he handed over the management of Fang's dessert shop and began to concentrate on studying.

Although he is proud, he is not arrogant.

He is very clear about the truth that there are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people.

So just because I have higher talents than ordinary people, I don’t really think that I can easily control the imperial examination.

He works just as hard as anyone else.

When Fang arrived at his yard, she saw him studying hard.

To be honest, it was the first time that Fang saw the little grandson whom she raised personally working so hard.

The child had a calm personality and had been intelligent since childhood. He had taken the imperial examination simply to see how difficult it was, and he hadn't put in much effort. She remembered that when he came back from the exam, he said, "It's just so-so!"

Later, everyone asked him to continue taking the exam, but he said directly: I am not going to be an official in the court. If I pass the exam, I will just squeeze out a person who has studied hard for ten years. He is not that bad.

Their family made their fortune through the imperial examination, and they knew best how important the imperial examination was to ordinary people.

So since the child said he did not want to be an official in the court, no one persuaded him to take the imperial examination.

Fang thought that Fang's dessert shop made a lot of money anyway, and he had a brother and brother-in-law who were officials in the court.

You won’t be hungry in the future, and no one will bully you.

If you don't want to serve as an official in the court, then live your life freely.

She thought that as long as this boy didn't become disillusioned with the world and run to a temple to become a monk, it would be all good.

She didn't expect that this time when he was asked to open a branch in Yangzhou Prefecture, he not only had the desire to get married, but was also willing to take the imperial examination and become an official. This really surprised her.

Thinking of this, Fang felt more and more that the little girl from the Qin family was good. When preparing the betrothal gifts for her, she would have to prepare some royal rewards for her to keep her in good shape.

Thinking of this, Fang immediately remembered the reason why she was in a hurry to come to her grandson's yard, and immediately interrupted the person who was studying seriously.

Hearing his grandmother's familiar voice, Liu Zhiyan, immersed in a book, subconsciously glanced at the pendulum clock beside him and realized it was already evening. He placed a bookmark in the book he had been reading, and while covering it, he asked Fang, "Grandma, did you have fun today?"

"Eat, drink, have fun, and have fun. I even bought a lot of weird little gadgets. It's great."

In the past, if he had asked his grandmother this question, she would have told him everything in detail, not just a simple answer like today. Just as he was about to ask her if something unpleasant had happened, he heard her telling him everything she had heard in the Fuchun Tea House, word for word.

When Liu Zhiyan heard Wang Xingsheng talking about Qin Xue's mother's immortality card, the expression on his face had become gloomy.

He thought that the man was only a little bit incompetent in matters between men and women.

I didn't expect that his character is also so bad.

After hearing that Ruan Ruyi wanted to use her mother to scheme against Qin Xue to achieve her goal, Liu Zhiyan had already started thinking about how to make her completely disappear from Xiaoxue'er's life.

Hearing Qin Xue say that she was working hard to find more common topics with him, Liu Zhiyan felt that the person he liked was different. Influenced by the idea that men should be breadwinners and women should be homemakers, most women in this era express their love for their husbands by giving them meticulous care in daily life, but rarely ask about their husbands' affairs outside the home, let alone discuss them with them.

What his Xiaoxueer was thinking about was how to have more topics to talk about with him.

How could he not be tempted by a girl like this? "Thank you, Grandma, for telling me this. I will take precautions and will not let Xiaoxue'er be tricked by others."

"Even if she's someone you've chosen, even if it's just a girl you know, if I knew someone was plotting against her, I, your grandmother, wouldn't just stand by and watch." It's much harder for women to survive in the world than it is for men. If she hasn't encountered such a situation, she'd always want to help. "Anyway, it's up to you to handle it."

Then, thinking about her own probing today, Fang said bluntly, "As for what you said earlier about me decorating your yard, I won't bother with that. You can do it yourself, or after you get married, you can let Xiaoxue'er take care of it."

Thinking of what Qin Xue said to her when she said her grandson's yard was simpler than the meditation room in the temple, 'He didn't ask me to change myself, and I don't ask him to change for me. He can do whatever he likes,' Fang felt a pang of discontent.

"I was worried that you hadn't gotten along with girls since you were little, and didn't know how to get along with them, so I said a lot on your behalf. Turns out, you know how to get along with girls better than anyone I've ever met. My good intentions were completely wasted."

Liu Zhiyan held Fang, who looked disgusted, and said, "You probably don't know that over the years, it was your 'wasteful' kindness that made me feel that my life still had a sense of reality." Otherwise, he might have really gone to the temple to practice asceticism.

His father and mother were both relatively open-minded people, rarely making demands on their siblings. His older siblings had both been ambitious since childhood, finding their goals early on. Although his second sister wasn't as well-behaved as his older siblings, she was always well-behaved and sensible, following their parents' instructions for the major events in her life.

He alone has neither the pursuit of his elder brothers and sisters nor the obedience and understanding of his second sister.

He felt that no matter what he did, he could never compare to his parents and siblings, so he didn't feel much about what he did.

If it weren't for Fang's nagging from time to time, if it weren't for the opportunity to play around in front of Fang without any respect, Liu Zhiyan might really feel that life is boring and go to the temple to become a monk.

Because he really liked Fang's nagging and the feeling of her chasing him with full energy, the last time he went to talk about himself and Qin Xue, he deliberately annoyed her and made her chase him.

Fang heard his unspoken intentions and was glad that he hadn't reached that point. She was even more glad that he had found his other half. "I'll find a suitable matchmaker in the next few days. Once your father's letter arrives, I'll have the matchmaker come to the Qin family to discuss the engagement."

Her grandson's engagement wasn't something she, as a grandmother, could know about alone. She didn't know which country her daughter-in-law was in yet, and couldn't contact her for the time being. Regardless of whether her son could come or not, she had to write to him and tell him the details.

"I'll trouble you with these, Grandma."

Fang waved her hands and said, "As long as all of you are well, my old bones will be happy."

Apart from the regret of being a widow at a young age, she has truly lived a fulfilling life.

I used to feel a little regretful that this brat didn't get married, but now I don't even have that regret anymore.

"When your little great-grandson is born next year, you will have a lot to be happy about." The old lady is still very strong. If you have a child in the future, she will definitely be able to take good care of it.

By then, the stubborn old lady would definitely be reluctant to let the brat live like herself, without parents since childhood. Then, there would be an excuse to let the old lady live with them.

The old lady wanted to say, you should take care of your own child.

If he really let this brat take care of himself, he would probably abandon the child at the Qin family, and then he might completely cut off contact with her. The old lady might not care too much about other great-grandchildren, but she would probably feel bad if this brat's child didn't get close to her. "Stinky brat, go ahead and mess with your grandmother as much as you can."

"When you break my old bones one day, I will stick with you and never leave."

"With your physique, I can't even work hard for another 30 years without it." His mother was a person who understood health preservation. For decades, this old lady not only paid attention to diet but also exercise. Her physique was unmatched by many fifty-year-olds. "Mom said that as long as you follow the lifestyle she prescribed for you, you will definitely live to 99, if not 120."

Since my daughter-in-law came into the family, our family conditions have gradually improved. We eat well, exercise regularly, and do the right things. Over the past few decades, her health is even better than when she was young.

In the past two or three years, most of the people in Waitang Village who were about her age have passed away.

She is still healthy.

All of this is because of the daughter-in-law. "It's more important for a man to marry the right person than to choose the wrong career. If your father hadn't married your mother, his career wouldn't have been so smooth. If your grandmother hadn't had your mother, she wouldn't be alive now."

Liu Zhiyan also agreed with Fang's words, but he also didn't forget what his mother had said, "Mom said that relationships are mutual. It's because you've loved her as much as you did back then that she's been able to treat you the same way for decades."

"Your grandmother only knows one thing: if you don't understand something, don't get involved." Those mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts are often caused by the mother-in-law's excessive meddling in the daughter-in-law's affairs. "As the old saying goes, if you're not dumb or deaf, you can't be a family elder."

Liu Zhiyan gave her a thumbs up and said, "You are a person with great wisdom in life. You should pass on more to your grandson in the future."

Hearing that the Wang family's concubine had actually used his deceased wife's immortality card to plot against his daughter, Qin Laicai glared at him with anger, his hands clenched and crackled, "This is too much, this is too much."

Qin Xue had seen her father angry before, but this was the first time she saw him so angry, so full of aura, as if he wanted to eat her alive.

Normally, she should be afraid of such an angry father.

But Qin Xue not only did not feel afraid, but also felt very safe.

Because of Qin Laicai's rage, she could not tolerate others' schemes against her.

In the teahouse, when she first heard Wang Xingsheng mention her biological mother's longevity tablet, if she hadn't grabbed the tea table in time and suppressed her anger, she would have most likely run to the next door and confronted him directly: "You're using a deceased person to plot against your daughter. Aren't you afraid of retribution and the extinction of your family lineage?"

But thinking that if he ran over to question the other party this time, he might find other ways to plot against him next time, it would be better to take this opportunity to completely suppress the other party to prevent future troubles.

Thinking of this, Qin Xue's face was solemn. "Dad, Wang Xingsheng's meanness is far beyond imagination. I will not be at peace until I completely suppress him."

Qin Laicai's constant pacing back and forth showed that he was thinking the same thing as Qin Xue at the moment, "Dad knows, Dad knows, Dad will find a way to solve this matter, Niuniu don't worry."

Then, while thinking, he said, "Since the Ruan family lady is familiar with the nun from Guanyin Zen Temple, and the Wang family boy is her future son-in-law, then your mother's longevity tablet is not suitable to be enshrined there any longer."

"Indeed." Since Wang Xingsheng has set his eyes on his mother's immortality card, he must want to do something. Even if he fails this time, there will always be next time. It's hard to guard against it. "But the immortality card shouldn't be moved at will, right?"

Qin Laicai nodded, "We can't move at will. We need the consent of both the temple that moves out and the temple that moves in."

The Changsheng Pai is a sacred contractual relationship that usually exists between believers and trusted temples. His family has been burning incense at Guanyin Temple since his wife was alive. Although he also donates incense money to other temples, it is far less than that to Guanyin Temple.

They rashly want to move the longevity tablet. Not only is it difficult to find a temple to accept it, even the Guanyin Zen Temple may not want to put it there.

After all, moving out is not only disrespectful to the temple, but also will cause the Qin family to lose the generous annual incense money.

Guanyin Temple will definitely not agree easily.

"Besides, since that brat from the Wang family has his eyes on your mother's immortality tablet, if we don't hold the ceremony carelessly, he will definitely find out which temple we've moved to. Then there won't be much point in moving the temple."

As far as he knows, most temples do not accept tablets that have been moved midway because it involves the issue of the ownership of merits.

Therefore, if you really want to move the Changsheng tablet, you need to find a temple that will accept it, and then go to the Guanyin Zen Temple to communicate.

Qin Laicai felt that he needed someone to discuss things with, but there were only him and his daughter in their family, and he didn't want his daughter to know about some of the darker things.

For a moment, Qin Laicai didn't know who to talk to.

Just when he was worried, the housekeeper came in and said that Liu Zhiyan was here.

Qin Laicai suddenly felt like someone was handing him a pillow when he was sleepy. His eyes immediately lit up and he quickly asked the housekeeper to invite the person in.

Liu Zhiyan quickly arrived at Qin Laicai's study and handed the macarons and puffs in his hand to Qin Xue, who had already stood up. "Look at your clothes. You probably haven't washed up in the backyard since you came back. Go change into some light clothes first, wash up, and have some dessert before coming out, okay?"

Although it wasn't midsummer yet, the temperature was quite high. After a day of wandering around outside, she had sweated a lot and felt sticky all over, even a little itchy. Qin Xue had been planning to go back to the backyard to freshen up, but after hearing what Liu Zhiyan said, she readily agreed. "Okay, then you talk to Dad. I'll come out later."

After saying that, she took the dessert he handed over, said goodbye to the father-in-law and son-in-law, and left Qin Laicai's study.

After Qin Xue left, the father-in-law and son-in-law found their seats. Liu Zhiyan was the first to speak. "I already know what Xiaoxue'er and the others heard at the Fuchun Tea House. I came to ask you, what are your plans?"

Qin Laicai was not surprised by what he knew. After all, Fang heard what happened today.

Not to mention that the two parties are already discussing marriage, even ordinary acquaintances will kindly come to the door to remind them if they encounter this situation.

Fang would definitely tell Liu Zhiyan the whole story, so it’s not surprising that Liu Zhiyan came to her house.

He was just worried about having no one to talk to, and Liu Zhiyan's arrival was the perfect solution to his urgent problem. Qin Laicai didn't hide anything and told Liu Zhiyan what the father and daughter had just discussed. Then he said, "If we can get rid of Wang Xingsheng at the root without touching Xue'er's mother's immortality card, that would be ideal."

"However, the Wang family's Patriarch had a hard time recognizing this vital person. He must have placed many people around him to protect him. It will not be easy to deal with him."

Which salt merchant who can survive these days hasn't had a few lives lost?!

So when Qin Laicai talked about these things, there was an inexplicable sense of murderous aura on his body, which was something that only people with real blood on their hands could have.

As the son of an official, even if he has not been exposed to officialdom, he has at least seen the darkness of officialdom. Liu Zhiyan does not think there is anything wrong with Qin Laicai's behavior.

In fact, his idea was similar to Qin Laicai's. He also felt that only by solving the problem thoroughly from the root could it be solved once and for all.

It can even be said that the method he came up with to solve the problem once and for all was even more cruel than Qin Laicai's direct method of taking someone's life. "I have always believed that if someone doesn't offend me, I won't offend them. If someone offends me, I will repay them a hundredfold or a thousandfold."

"After my last plan failed, if he no longer harbored these thoughts, I would have given him Ruan Ruyi as my 'reward'. I wouldn't have plotted against him again. But when his first plan failed, he came up with a second one. If I don't get rid of him once and for all this time, he'll be a problem sooner or later."

When Liu Zhiyan said this, his expression did not seem to fluctuate much, but his words made people feel a chill down their spines. This was the first time he showed his cold side in front of Qin Laicai.

Sooner or later they will be a family, so he doesn't mind letting his father-in-law, who will live under the same roof in the future, know his cold side in advance, so that his father-in-law won't feel cheated when they live together in the future.

Qin Laicai was indeed surprised that he had such a side to him, but he did not feel deceived at all. Instead, he admired the chill in his expression when he frowned. He felt that such a person would have a stronger authority when he entered the officialdom in the future, and people would not dare to look down on him easily.

"Hearing what you said, could it be that you have already thought of a proper solution?"

Liu Zhiyan nodded. "I remember when I was eight or nine, there were many Japanese merchants coming to Zhao. At the time, these merchants frequently visited the Yanliu area of ​​our Zhao. Do you think it's possible that Wang Xingsheng's mother, who was the top prostitute in the Yangzhou brothel, would have given herself to a Japanese man?"

Liu Zhiyan's words made Qin Laicai tremble.

Liu Zhiyan, now 25 years old, was eight or nine years old, exactly 16 or 17 years ago. That was the heyday of Wang Xingsheng's mother. Countless scholars and businessmen came to Yangzhou because of her fame.

It is not difficult to fabricate a biological father for Wang Xingsheng if you really want to.

If someone fabricated a story about his father being from Japan, he estimated that the head of the Wang family would kick him to Japan without him having to do anything.

This is indeed a good idea.

Although he had heard of Japanese people, he had never met a real Japanese person. "This biological father can be fabricated, but there must be such a person, and he must be able to withstand investigation. After all, with the ability of the Wang family, it is not difficult to investigate a person."

"Of course." Since he proposed it, he must have been completely confident. "If you agree to my proposal, I will arrange the follow-up matters."

"I agree, of course I agree. Others have bullied me to the point of being too bullying. If I still show mercy, I will be cruel to myself." Qin Laicai has never been a pushover. In an industry like the salt industry where one can lose everything and be shattered if one is not careful, a pushover will not last long.

"Okay, you make the arrangements. If you need me to be there, just tell me." Qin Laicai had never been so relaxed before. He didn't even have to think, as someone had already figured out a solution for him. "My dear nephew, if you need anything in life, such as food, drink, or daily necessities, just let me know. For study, if you need pens, ink, paper, or inkstone, just tell me. Your uncle will definitely prepare everything for you."

Liu Zhiyan knew that Qin Laicai would definitely not object to his proposal, but he did not expect that he would hand over the initiative to him so easily. What he did not expect was that he would not only hand over the initiative, but also take care of everything in life and study.

He didn't hesitate to answer him. "Then please, uncle, prepare a small courtyard for me at home. When I come to teach Xiaoxue'er, I can study in this courtyard during my downtime. This way, I can teach Xiaoxue'er and prepare for the imperial examination without any delay."

"No problem." If Qin Laicai wasn't worried about his daughter's reputation, he would have wanted to let Liu Zhiyan live in the Qin family right now.

For more than a decade, since his wife passed away, the family has been just the two of them, father and daughter. They don't usually worry about each other, but when things get tough, they feel so alone. Having someone who can take on responsibilities at home is not only more lively, but also gives them someone to discuss things with. It couldn't be better.

"Then I'll do as before, coming here in the morning and returning to the Liu family in the evening."

For the past twenty years, he preferred to be alone.

But since he got used to having a bright and lively person around him, Liu Zhiyan has started to like being with her.

Even if two people are doing their own things and don't say a word to each other, knowing that there is such a person around them will make them feel full in their hearts.

In the past, when his mother was on a diplomatic mission, he never thought about how long she would be away.

Now he is hoping that his mother will return to Zhao State as soon as possible so that he can discuss the marriage with the Qin family.

Unfortunately, his mother would not be back until the autumn examination, so he had to wait.

"The old rules, as long as no one else knows, you can do whatever you want." After all, there is an unmarried girl in the family. If people knew that there was a man who went in and out of the Qin family every day, it would not be good for the daughter.